Meeting again
by swtboarder101
Summary: Rory is in her junior year at Yale. At a coffee shop, Rory sees an extremely gorgeous musician preforming... Trory!
1. Default Chapter

A/N:  Hey everyone!!  I was sitting in history class, BORED OUT OF MY MIND, when I thought this up.  This is, of course, going to be a Trory cuz I just love them!  Reviews are GREATLY appreciated, as well as suggestions to make my writing better.  Anyways, enjoy the story.  And sorry, no Trory action in this chapter, but the next one will have some, I promise! 

Disclaimer: I own nothing…. sniff sniff 

Summary:  Rory goes to a coffee house where there is an incrediably gorgeous musician performing.  Trory!

Chapter one~ Big news from a friend

       'One class down, four more to go,' Rory Gilmore thought to herself.  Rory was currently in her junior year at Yale University.  She had been wryly studying for her midterms for days, and had just now finished covering one class worth of material.

          Rory yawned and looked at the clock.  6:04.  It was still to early to go to bed.  Rory debated going to the library to find Paris, but decided against it.  Paris would be furious having her precious study time interrupted.

          Bored, Rory looked around the room for something to do.  She turned on the T.V., and flipped the channels for a few minutes.  Figures.  Nothing good is on a Friday night.

          Rory was getting so desperate, she was almost thinking of going to a campus party.  The last one she went to was during freshman year, with Louise and Madaline.  That didn't go too well.

          Just then, there was a knock at the door.  Intrigued, Rory got up to answer it.

          She opened the door to reveal Lane, who was still her best friend after all these years.  Lane smiled at her and held her hand up, telling her to wait a minute.  Lane was her cell, with a giddy smile on her face.

          "No you hang up!  Dave, you hang up first.  No, you first! Okay, on the count of three.  One, two, three!  Dave, you were supposed to hang up.  Okay, this is the real thing.  Yep, I love you too."

          Lanes face dropped and looked over at Rory.

          "He hung up on me!" she yelled incredulously.

          Rory smiled at her friend, "Well, you told him to."

          "But I didn't expect him to actually _listen to what I said," Lane said._

          Rory mock sympathized with her friend, "Well, it had to have happened sooner or later."

          "Yeah, but I would have rather had it later than sooner," Lane whined.

          Rory rolled her eyes.

          Seeing her friend was no longer amused, Lane changed the subject, "Rory!!!  How the heck are you?"  She threw her arm around her best friend.

          Rory laughed, "I'm good now that you're here."

          Lane pulled back and grinned, "I knew you would get lonely here without me!"

          "Lonely may not be the word," Lane gave Rory a playful shove, "Well, maybe just a little bit.  But mostly, I'm glad you're here to conquer the boredom.  I was just about to find me a party!"

          "First of all, being a junior, I expect better grammar out of you.  And second, a party?  Why would _you _be looking for a party?"

          "Oh, come on Lane," Rory said playfully, "You know I'm a party girl."

          "Oh…right."

          Rory laughed, "Well, come on in!  So, how are things with Dave, good as usual?"

          Lane blushed, "Actually, things are better than good… Dave proposed!"

          "Oh my god!  When?  How?  What did you say?" Rory asked excitedly, bombarding her friend with questions.

          "Last night on our third anniversary.  We were about to do a gig, backstage he pulled out a ring and asked me right there!  Oh, and I said yes.  It was sooooo romantic!" Lane gushed

          "Oh Lane!  I'm so happy for you," Rory said, hugging her.

          "I'm happy too!" Lane squealed.

          After they settled down, Rory said, "This calls for a celebration."

          "Ooooh, I like the way you think," Lane agreed.

          "Coffee," they both said at the same time.

          The girls started giggling madly as they walked out of the room in search for coffee.

End for chapter one.  Like it?  Want me to continue?  Drop me a review!! (Please?)


	2. A lil coffee, a lil music

  
  
**Chapter 2  
  
"So, do you actually know where we're headed? Or is this some wild goose chase?" Lane asked.  
  
Rory rolled her eyes, "Of course I do. We're going to a place called Coffee Corner. It's really cool; they have delicious coffee, almost as good as Lukes. Plus, they have either poetry readings or musicians perform, you'll love it."  
  
"Music and coffee? This must be my lucky day," Lane said.  
  
  
  
Looking around the store, there was an unusually high number of females in the room. 'That's strange,' Rory thought.  
  
"Hey Coffee Queen, " a male voice says.  
  
Rory turned around to see a handsome young man with shaggy long hair and bright hazel eyes. "Hey, Jack," Rory greeted her best friend on campus, who also happened to work at her sanctuary, "Why is it so crowded today?"  
  
"I don't know, we only have one performer lined up. I'm not complaining though, this is a good turn out," Jack replied.   
  
Rory nodded, "Jack, I would like you to meet my best friend, Lane Kim."  
  
Jack frowned in mock hurt, "But Rory, I thought I was your best friend?" He turned to the Korean girl and flashed an 100 watt smile. "Well, hello Lane. It's a pleasure to meet you." He took her hand and gently kissed it.  
  
Rory, noticing Lane was starting to swoon, budded in, "Hey, watch it Bucko. That ones engaged."  
  
"Really, congradulations," Jack said.  
  
Lane smiled, "Thank you. It's very nice to meet you too," she turned to Rory, "Rory, if I had known you had such a gorgeous new best friend, I would have visted more often."  
  
"One word, Lane: Dave," Rory laughed.  
  
"Excuse me a moment, ladies. I have to go introduce the guest." Jack walked up to the quaint stage, "Good evening everyone. Tonight, our performer is a young songwriter who will be playing some original stuff and some covers. Anyways, please give a round of applause for Tristan DuGrey!"  
  
Rory ranked her brain for the name. Tristan DuGrey… sophomore and junior year… Mary…. kiss on a piano bench… PJ Harvey… Romeo and Juliet… military school. The thoughts all rushed back to her. He was the boy she loved to hate, the second boy she ever kissed. Rory had actually thought about Tristan on occasion after he left, not a lot, but a little.  
  
A modest young man carrying a guitar walked on stage. He was wearing baggy jeans that fit him just right, a tight gray t-shirt that allowed the definition of his strong chest to show through, and a navy beanie over his blonde locks. His face looked the same, still very handsome, but his hair was a bit longer, winged. His demeanor was also some what different. He usually had this air of self confidence surrounding him. Now, he seemed nervous and unsure of himself.  
  
Lane nudged Rory, "Wow, look at him, he's even hotter than Jack! No wonder there are so many girls here!"  
  
"Lane, did his name sound familiar to you at all?"  
  
Lane looked questionably at her friend, "No, should it?"  
  
"Tristan DuGrey," Rory repeated, "Tristan DuGrey, from Chilton? Remember, the one who teased me and called me Mary?"  
  
A look of realization took over Lanes features, "That's Tristan? Rory, he's GORGEOUS!"  
  
Rory rolled her eyes, "Lane, calm yourself. What would Dave think?"  
  
Just then, a slight cough rang over the microphone, "How is everyone tonight? This first song I will be playing is called, The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most." (A/N: Haha, I needed a song title, and that was the first that came to mind. This song was written by Dashboard Confessional, but in my story, Tristan wrote it. Check it out, it's a great song!!)  
  
Tristan was astounding. His voice was amazing, and it was obvious he was very passionate about his music.  
  
While Tristan was on stage, he looked into the crowd. He always felt so nervous when he first got on stage, but then once he started playing, he felt right at home and totally comfortable. There were a lot of women, as usual, but one particular girl caught his eye. A pair of stunning blue eyes that could only belong to Rory Gilmore, his Mary. Seeing her brought a smirk to his face, and he was sure Rory noticed when he saw her eye roll. She was the first girl that Tristan ever truly liked, and he still thought about her after all these years.   
  
  
  
  
Tristan was packing up his guitar when he felt a tap on his shoulder.  
  
"Hey, good job man," Jack said while shaking Tristan's hand, "Would you be interesting in playing here again, you brought a good crowd."  
  
"No problem, it was fun," Tristan said, glancing over his shoulder.  
  
"Awesome. We'll keep in touch, take care."  
  
Tristan scanned the room. Where was she? All the while on stage, he was looking forward to talking to her again.  
  
Finally, he found her talking to a Korean girl on the other side. She was drinking a cup of coffee and giggling with her friend.  
  
He strolled up to her in his Chilton walk, and tapped her on the shoulder.  
  
She jumped and turned around, "Well hello, Mary. Jumping for joy to see me?"  
  
"Well if it isn't Tristan DuGrey. I would have thought you would be in the army or something by now," Rory said, smiling.  
  
"Nah, just getting through military school was hell," Tristan replied, "And who might you be?" he asked, turning to Lane.  
  
"I'm Rory's friend Lane," she said.  
  
"Well, Lane, I'm Tristan. Rory and I went to Chilton together," Tristan said.  
  
"Yes, I remember you. You're the one who had trouble remembering Rory's name," she quipped.  
  
"Been talking about me Mary?" he asked, smirking in Rory's direction.  
  
Rory rolled her eyes, "Get over yourself, Tristan."  
  
The moment was interrupted by a shrilling ringing. Lane guiltily looked down, realizing it was her phone that was ringing. "Hello?" she asked. A giddy smile spread over her face. "Dave, hi."  
  
"Oh just go," Rory said, waving her away.  
  
"Thank you, thank you, thank you," Lane said, skipping away.  
  
"Fiance," Rory explained.  
  
"Ooooh, interesting," Tristan said. There was a moment of silence before Tristan spoke up, "Well Mary, if there's one thing I can remember about you, is that you were crazy for coffee. Let me buy you a cup?"  
  
"Well, I already have one," Rory said, grining, "But one more can't hurt."  
  
A/N: Well that's it for now, I hope you liked it. And by winged hair, I meant that it is sort of skater style. Just longer than his hair used to be on GG. Thanks for reading, and please REVIEW!!! :)  
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	3. Catching Up

Chapter 3

A/N: Hey ya'll!  Thank you sooo much for your reviews!! Anyways, here's the next chapter!

          Rory snuggled into the comfy plush couch next to Tristan.  She took a sip of her hot, frothy capicino and licked her lips, which didn't go entirely unnoticed by Tristan.  After her self indulgence, she turned happily to Tristan, "So, Tristan, what have you been up to?"

          Tristan was mezmorized.  If it was even possible, Rory Gilmore looked even better now than she did in high school.  She still had her long, silky hair and her piercing blue eyes, but something about her was different, and he couldn't quite place it.  Her question stirred him from his thoughts.  "Well, as you know, I went to military school.  I'm not going to lie to you, it was tough.  Very tough, but it taught me something," Tristan said.

          "And what would that be?" Rory asked, interested.

          "That I actually had to work for what I want," he said, "And what I wanted was to get out of military school as soon as possible.  My grades were good from Chilton and I did some extra classes in military school, and managed to graduate early."

          "Lucky you," Rory responded.

          "Well, you know, military school was all guys, so that alone gave me enough motivation to get out," Tristan said, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

          Rory threw a pillow at him, "Typical Tristan response.  I'm surprised you made it out alive."

          "Well, Mary, the thought of you kept me going each day," Tristan said, smirking, which earned him an eye roll from Rory.

          "So, then what did you do after you graduated?" Rory asked.

          "Princeton.  Followed in the footsteps of dear old Dad," Tristan said simply.

          "So then that makes you a senior now, right?"

          "Au contraire, Mary.  I also graduated early there," Tristan said.

          Rory gazed at him with wide eyes, "No offense, Tristan, but I never pegged you as some sort of genius."

          "Well Mary, I have the books and the looks," Tristan said proudly.

          Rory snorted.

          "What about you, what have you been up to since the last time I saw you?" Tristan asked.

          "Well, Paris had to play your part of Romeo when you left, you can only imagine how that went," Rory said.

          Tristan looked amused, "How was the kiss?"

          "There was no kiss!" Rory laughed, "Don't put those kinds of thoughts in my head!"

          "Well," Tristan began, "I wouldn't doubt it.  Paris would do anything to get that 'A'."

          "It didn't matter anyways.  We got the 'A'."

          "So, we've covered the first hour that I was gone, tell me more," Tristan inquired.

          "Well, I was Vice Class President.  Of course, Paris was President," Rory started.

          "You and _Paris?" Tristan asked incredulously, "What were you, like best friends after I left?"_

          "Well not _best _friends, but we were friends," Rory answered.

          "I would have thought pigs would fly before I would see the day," Tristan said, chuckling, "So, did you go to Harvard?"

          "Actually no," Rory informed, "I got in, but I picked Yale instead."

          "I find that hard to believe, from what I remember, you were some kind of Harvard fanatic."

          "Well, things change.  And plus, I love it here at Yale, and it's much closer to home."

          Tristan nodded, "Makes sense."  He took a sip of his still scorching coffee.  He had been beating around the bush for far too long, and was dying to ask about her love life.  "So, Mary, what happened to ole what's his name, Bag Boy I believe?"

          She obviously wasn't expecting him to remember, seeing as she practically spit her coffee out.  "You mean Dean?"  she asked, "I can't believe you remember him."

          Of course he did.  Dean was the solitary thing that was standing in between Rory and him being together.  Well, maybe Dean and his ego.  "How could I forget the love of my Mary's life?"

          Rory rolled her eyes, "Dean and me dated until the beginning of senior year."

          "What, no wedding?" he asked, in mock shock.  Rory glared at him so he dropped the sarcasm, "So, then why did you break up?"

          "Jess," was her simple response.

          "Oh, Mary.  Please don't tell me you've crossed over," Tristan said.

          "What?" Rory asked, "No.  Jess was a guy."

          "Good, so then what did he have that Bean didn't?"

          Rory laughed, it was very amusing that he wouldn't say Dean's name.  Figures, he always had trouble with them.  She had actually been having a genuine good time with him.  It was nice having to be talking to a familiar face and easily fall into the casual banter.

          "Jess was just different.  I don't know how to describe it."

          "That's nice," Tristan said, "So are you two still together?"

          "Gosh, no," Rory answered, "I haven't talked to him since graduation.  The last I heard, he moved to California."

          "I'm sorry," Tristan sympathized, "So what about now, any guys in your life?"

          "Not at the moment," Rory replied, "So what about you, did any ladies last for more than a week?"

          "Oh, Rory!  You underestimate me.  I'll have you know, I did have my share of long term relationships."

          "Really?" Rory asked, skeptically.

          "Well, only one.  We dated in college for 7 months."

          "Oh, talk about long term," Rory said, sarcastically.

          Tristan shrugged guiltily.  He took another sip of his coffee.  It had cooled down and was now just the right temperature.  Both of them were both silent for a few minutes, in thought about the other.  Rory was thinking that Tristan was still the same cocky person, but he was also very fun to talk to, and she enjoyed his company.  Maybe, if she gave him a chance in high school, things would have turned out differently.  And Tristan, he was thinking about how lucky he was that he got to see her again.  Of all the coffee shops, he was fortunate enough to run into her.

          "So," Rory said, breaking the silence, "You were really great up there.  I was really impressed with your songs."

          "Thanks," Tristan said, somewhat bashfully.

          "Why Tristan," Rory gasped, "It looks like you're blushing."

          "No, I just happen to get red from time to time," Tristan retorted playfully.  (A/N: I got that line from the movie, My Boss's Daughter, so if it looked familiar, that's where it was from!)

          "But really, you were amazing up there," Rory said.

          "It's nice to be able to play here.  It's incredibly soothing," Tristan said, "I mean, playing with my band, the atmosphere is so much different, more fast paced, but still fun none the less."

          "You have a band?" Rory asked.

          "Yeah," Tristan said.

          "What's the name of it?"

          "Carpe Diem," Tristan answered, "Which is Latin for-"

          "Seize the day," Rory finished, "Yeah, Kirk got that tattooed on his leg. His mom was really, REALLY mad," Rory laughed at the silly memory.

          "Kirk?" Tristan asked.

          "A crazy man from my town," Rory said.

          "Gotcha."  The two shared a warm smile.

          "Rory!" Lane called, "Are you ready to go?"

          "Lane," Rory said, somewhat disappointed, "Umm… yeah, just about."

          "Leaving so soon?" Tristan asked, disappointed also that the evening was coming to a close.

          "Actually, you all will be leaving," everyone turned to Jack, "Sorry, guys, I'm not trying to kick you out, but we're closing."

          "Geez, it's already 11," Rory stated.

          "See, Mary?  Time does fly when you're having fun," Tristan said, playfully.

          "Whatever, Tristan," Rory said laughing.

          "Hey, Rory," Tristan asked timidly, "Do you maybe want to hang out some other time?"

          "Sure," Rory answered without hesitation.

          "Great," Tristan said, handing her his cell, "Just record your number here."

          Rory put in her number and gave the phone back to Tristan.  "Well, I surprisingly had fun tonight, see you around, Tristan."

          "That, Ms. Mary, you can definitely count on," Tristan said.

          Rory rolled her eyes and left.

A/N: WHOA!! That was a long chapter!!  Anyways, please review, review, review!


	4. Phone Call

Chapter 4  
  
A/N: Hey ya'll! Thanks soooo much for your reviews, they mean a lot!! Anywho, here's another chapter!  
  
  
  
"You seemed like you had fun tonight," Lane said as they were walking back to Rory's dorm.  
  
"Well, the coffee was good, and so was the music," Rory responded.  
  
"What about your company?" Lane asked innocently.  
  
"What about him?"   
  
"Nothing, you just seemed to be getting along pretty well," Lane answered.  
  
"Well he has changed. I mean, he still calls me Mary and has an enormous ego, but he's also really nice," Rory said.  
  
"Not to mention HOT," Lane filled in.  
  
Rory rolled her eyes.  
  
"Oh come on, Rory! At least admit he's hot," Lane said.  
  
"He's not bad," Rory said, blushing slightly.  
  
"Ah ha!" Lane squealed, "You think he's hot!"  
  
"I said he's not bad," Rory reiterated.  
  
"Not bad at all!"  
  
"Poor Dave. It will break his heart when you run off with Tristan," Rory teased.  
  
"No, that'll be your job," Lane quipped.  
  
"Whatever."  
  
"She doesn't deny!"  
  
Rory glared at Lane and started walking faster.  
  
"Rory!" Lane whined, "Wait for me!"  
  
  
  
  
The next day, Rory and Paris, her roommate, were feverishly studying their notes. Lane was, as usual, blabbing on the phone to Dave.  
  
The shrilling ringing of the phone startled Rory.  
  
"Paris," Rory said, "Get the phone, your closest."  
  
Paris didn't respond instantly.   
  
"Paris!"  
  
"What?"  
  
"The phone?"  
  
"Oh, I didn't hear it ring." She said, picking up the phone.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
There was a pause on Tristan's end. Why did that voice sound so familiar?  
  
"Hello?" Paris tried again. She had no patience for prank calls, so as she was about to hang up, finally, she got a response.  
  
"Hi. May I please speak to Rory?" He asked politely.  
  
Paris recognized the voice, "Tristan?" Rory's head snapped up at the mention of Tristan. Ooops, she forgot to tell Paris! Hopefully, since they were all mature adults, Paris wouldn't be upset.  
  
Now he remembered, "Yes. Paris?"  
  
"Yes! Wow, how are you?"  
  
Tristan was stunned, "I'm great, how are you?"  
  
"I'm good too."  
  
"That's great."  
  
The caught up for a few minutes before Tristan finally got to the point of his call.  
  
"Paris, I'm kind of in a hurry, can I please talk to Rory?"  
  
Paris' face fell; she was enjoying conversing with him. And as much as she hated to admit it, she still had a teensy weensy crush on him. But come on, who doesn't? Oh yeah, Rory Gilmore.  
  
"Sure, Tristan. Hold on."  
  
He breathed a sigh of relief. She wasn't mad, or didn't seem like it anyway.  
  
"Hello?" Rory asked.  
  
He smiled at how angelic she sounded on the phone. "Hey, Mary."  
  
"You called," she stated dully.  
  
"I told you I would."  
  
"And you did."  
  
Tristan laughed, "So what's up?"  
  
"Studying. What about you?"  
  
"Nothing, just strumming around."  
  
"Working on your next masterpiece?" she teased.  
  
"As always," he responded. "What are you doing tonight?"  
  
"Going to find some out of control rave and then, if I'm up to it, maybe go to a frat party."  
  
"Sounds like fun, can I join you?" Tristan asked, playing along.  
  
"If you think you can keep up," Rory quipped.  
  
"Well, as fun as that sounds, I think I would have to pass. My band has a gig tonight, which was actually why I called."  
  
"Oh really?" Rory asked, impressed, "Where at?"  
  
"The Quest." (A/N: The Quest is actually a club by my house! I'm sure you all were curious… lol)  
  
"That's awesome, Tristan," Rory said cheerfully.  
  
"Would you like to come?" Tristan blurted.  
  
"I don't know, I have a lot of studying to do… I don't want to get behind."  
  
"Come on, Mary. Live a little," Tristan teased, "Bring Lane. Or Paris even."  
  
"Fine," Rory said.  
  
"Wow, Rory Gilmore has lost her stubbornness" Tristan said. Rory huffed in exasperation on the other line, "I'll pick you up at 8:00."  
  
"How do you know where I live?"  
  
"Oh, I have my ways," Tristan said coyly. "Just kidding. I need directions."  
  
Rory told him the directions and hung up.  
  
"Paris, Lane! We are going out tonight!" Rory said.  
  
There was a grumble from Paris and a squeal from Lane.


	5. The Quest

Chapter 5  
  
A/N: Thank you everyone for you're lovely reviews! Here's chapter five, enjoy!  
  
"Oooooh this is going to be so fun! I'm so glad Tristan invited us!" Lane cried happily, as the three girls got out of their car.  
  
"Me too," Paris agreed, "So, Rory, is Tristan still the same as he was at Chilton."  
  
"Do you mean does he still have a massive ego the size of Texas?" Rory asked.  
  
"So, the same then?"  
  
"Not quite," Rory said, "He's still very cocky, but he has changed. He's more bearable now."  
  
Paris nodded and then asked with a playful grin, "Does he still call you Mary?"  
  
Rory groaned and gave her a shove.  
  
  
  
  
"Arg!" Paris screamed, "Why is this taking so long?"  
  
"Well," Lane began, "Take notice that most of this crowd is female, and Tristan's band just happens to be playing tonight. Coincidence? I think not, right Rory?"  
  
Paris eyed Rory suspiciously.  
  
"Rory thinks Tristan's hot," Lane said, filling in the blanks.  
  
"I do not!" Rory said, "I said he was not bad - and that's because you practically forced it out of me!"  
  
"I.D.?" the security guard in front of the club said.  
  
The girls dug in their purse, and Paris and Lane pulled theirs out and flashed them to the security guard. Rory, on the other hand, wasn't as lucky. She dug through her purse, but it didn't give any results.  
  
"It was right in here…" She muttered.  
  
"I'm sorry. No I.D., no entrance," he said sternly.  
  
"But I'm with my friends! I'm a junior in college, well over 18!"  
  
"You could fool me," He replied.  
  
Rory grumbled and continued to look.   
  
"Hey, Sam," A male voice said, "It's cool, she's with me."  
  
Rory looked up at Tristan with grateful eyes.  
  
"And she's 18?" he asked skeptically.  
  
"20," Rory said defensively.  
  
With a sigh of defeat, he waved them all in. Upon entering, Rory noticed how crowded the club was. It wasn't the usual club scene, but a full out concert. There was a mass of bodies up close to the stage that were packed tightly together. The club was noisy; the music and the crowd's cheering.  
  
"Sorry for all the hassle, Mary," Tristan said, leading them through a maze of dancing people to the bar.  
  
"Do I really look like that young?" Rory asked as they all sat down. She looked around at her friends, and they all gave her knowing looks. "Shut up."  
  
Tristan laughed and turned his attention to Paris, "Well, well, well. If it isn't Paris Geller."  
  
"Tristan DuGrey. Nice to see you again," she said, smiling.  
  
"Indeed it is. You look great."  
  
"Thanks," Paris said, blushing.  
  
"And Lane," Tristan turned to the Korean women, kissing her on the cheek, "Looking beautiful, as always."  
  
"You've only seen her once," Rory pointed out.  
  
"Why Mary," Tristan gasped, "Is it possible you're jealous?"  
  
"Hardly."  
  
"Because, you are looking just ravishing tonight, if I don't say so myself," he said, taking in her full appearance of low rise jeans and a baby blue tank top that enhanced the color of her eyes. Her hair was slightly wavier than usual, but still looked great, nonetheless.  
  
Rory blushed and Tristan smirked.  
  
"So, Tristan, when are you up?" Rory asked, taking the attention away from herself.  
  
"There's one more band after this one, and then it's our turn," Tristan answered.  
  
"Wow, this band is awesome!" Lane exclaimed, "Let's go up closer!"  
  
She grabbed a protesting Paris by the hand and dragged her closer to stage, leaving Rory and Tristan by the bar.  
  
"Wanna follow them?"  
  
Rory looked over at the crowd. Body surfing and moshing, no thanks.  
  
"As temping as it sounds, I think I'll pass," she said.  
  
"I know how it is, you want some alone time with yours truly," Tristan teased, nudging his bare arm against hers.  
  
"Of course, Tristan. I wanted to be alone so I could have my way with you," Rory said sarcastically, rolling her eyes.  
  
"I always knew you would cave," Tristan said, winking, "So, while we're here, want anything to drink?"  
  
Rory debated for a while; she wasn't much of a drinker. She had been drunk once in her life and didn't care to repeat it. After giving it another thought, she said, "Sure."  
  
Tristan gave her a look. He was only teasing when he asked her. To him, it didn't seem like Rory was the drinking type. But then again, he hadn't seen her for years. "Well, Mary, you're just in luck," Tristan said, "I just turned 21 last month, so I am legal to buy drinks."  
  
"Well, happy belated birthday, then," Rory said.  
  
"How about a birthday kiss?"  
  
"How about not," Rory retorted.  
  
"Please," Tristan pouted, sticking out his lower lip and moving closer.  
  
Rory was about to tell him off, but was interrupted when someone crashed into her, causing her to fall into Tristan's arms. They were sharing a stool; Rory all wrapped up in Tristan's strong arms, her head still buried in his warm chest.  
  
Rory looked up at Tristan, still in his arms. She never realized just how blue Tristan's eyes were. Azure. His eyes went from concern to playful and mischievous. Then, he opened his mouth, "Mary, I only asked for a kiss, not for you to jump me! Not that I mind, though."  
  
Rory felt her cheeks grow a bright shade of red. One, because this happened in the first place, and two, because she was still in Tristan's arms. She huffed and stood up, trying to gather her composure. "Shut up," she said.  
  
Tristan gave her a smile and asked, "So, what would you like to drink?"  
  
Rory pondered his question for a moment, "Umm I'll just have a beer, thanks."  
  
Tristan told her order to the bartender, and ordered one for himself also.  
  
"Tristan, dude," a voice called, "Where have you been? We made a few last minute adjustments, come backstage, we need to show you."  
  
"Oh, alright," Tristan said, "Chris, I would like you to meet my friend, Rory. Rory, this is Chris, our drum player."  
  
"Oh, so you're Rory. Tristan hasn't been able to stop talking about you," Chris said, shaking her hand.  
  
"Is that so," Rory said with a raised eyebrow, turning to an embarrassed Tristan.  
  
"No," Tristan said quickly.  
  
Chris laughed, "Whatever, dude. Are you ready to go?"  
  
"Yeah, I guess," Tristan said, "Rory, will you be okay?"  
  
Rory looked at Tristan, amused, "Yes, dad. I'll be fine. Go."  
  
"All right. I'll meet you back here after the show, okay?"  
  
"Sure. Have fun, and break a leg. I mean that literally of course," Rory said sweetly.  
  
"Mary, Mary. If I did, could we play doctor afterwards?" Tristan asked innocently.  
  
"Argh!" Rory cried, "Goodbye!"  
  
Chris waved and Tristan winked as they walked away.  
  
  
  
Rory smiled to herself as Tristan walked away; he was such a dork. She took a sip of her beer and tapped her finger on the bar. Maybe she should look for Lane and Paris? No, they would be almost impossible to find. Someone sat down next to Rory and ordered a drink. He sounded strangely familiar, so Rory turned around to look at him.  
  
"Jack, hey! What are you doing here?"  
  
Jack looked over at Rory, surprised, "Hey Rory. Wow, wouldn't expect to see you here."  
  
"Neither would I. I'm here to watch a friend play."  
  
"Anyone I know?" Jack asked.  
  
"Yes, actually. Remember Tristan DuGrey… he played at Coffee Corners a few days ago?"  
  
"Yes," Jack said, "This isn't exactly a coffee house, though."  
  
"He's playing here with his band," Rory explained, taking the last sip of her beer.  
  
"Oh, that'll be good then."  
  
"Yep," Rory agreed, then ordered another beer.  
  
"Rory Gilmore, a drunk. Who would have thought?" Jack asked playfully.  
  
Rory gave him a glare, "It's only my second one."  
  
"Are you sure you haven't lost count yet?" Rory elbowed Jack in the side. "Ow," he pouted, "That hurt."  
  
"Good," Rory said. Just then, Lane and Paris walked up.  
  
"Where's Tristan?" Paris asked.  
  
"He and his band had to do some last minute touch ups." Rory said.  
  
Both girls nodded.  
  
  
  
  
The four talked at the bar for about a half an hour, until Carpe Diem came on stage. Tristan announced the group and they started to jam.  
  
"Come on!" Lane yelled over the screaming crowd, "Let's get closer."  
  
They all left their drinks and made their way through the crowd. Lane seemed to get by the jumping bodies effortlessly, but Rory, on the other hand, wasn't so lucky. She was bumped and knocked into left and right, and finally, they made it to the front.  
  
Tristan looked like he was having the time of his life. He was the front center, playing electric guitar and singing to "The Boys of Summer", by the Ataris. Lane started dancing around and cheering and Paris, who was on Rory's right, was standing in awe at Tristan. Tristan's band, by far, was the best. The whole crowd was getting really into the music.  
  
"Come on, Rory, dance," Jack said from behind her, as he himself started to move with the music.  
  
Rory looked over at Tristan, and met his eyes. They held a gaze for a few moments and then he smiled and continued playing. Rory began to jump up and down and dance.  
  
She couldn't believe how much fun she was having! The only other concert she went to was the Bangles, and this was completely different.  
  
Tristan was jumping around on stage, gasping for breath while he sung out the words to one of the band's original songs. He looked so carefree and wild. His hair was a messy blonde blob on his head, and he had on baggy jeans, exposing his red boxers, and a gray wife beater over his muscled chest.  
  
The band played a handful of other songs, and Rory was exhausted by the time they were done. She cheered loudly, along with everyone else, as the band walked off stage.  
  
"Wow! They were great," Rory said to her friends as they walked over to the bar.  
  
"Why thank you, Mary," Tristan said, coming from behind and putting his arm around her shoulder.  
  
Rory blushed; she didn't know Tristan had heard her.  
  
"Gross, Tristan," Rory said, "You're all sweaty."  
  
He pulled her closer and nuzzled up to her, "You know you like it."  
  
"You guys were by far the best band up there," Lane said.  
  
"Why thanks, Lane," Tristan said.  
  
Paris looked over at Rory and Tristan. Things sure have changed since high school. Tristan still had his arm around Rory, and she didn't seem to mind at all. As much as she hated to admit it, a part of her still liked Tristan in more than a platonic way.  
  
"Well, as fun as this has been, I think I'm going to take off," Jack said, "Tristan, you gotta come play at Coffee Corners before you get too famous."  
  
"I will, man," Tristan said, chuckling.  
  
"I think we should go, too," Paris said. She didn't know why, but all the sudden, she wasn't having fun anymore.  
  
"Paris," Tristan said, "The night is still young."  
  
"Well, some of us have to study," she retorted, "Right, Rory?"  
  
"Yeah," Rory answered, "She's right. Midterms are coming up."  
  
Tristan pouted and pulled Rory even closer to him. "Don't leave me, Mary," he said dramatically.  
  
Rory laughed, "I think you'll be okay. You made it 4 years without me."  
  
"Fine. Go. Leave me here, all alone."  
  
"Goodbye, Tristan," Rory said.  
  
"Lane, will you stay with me?" Tristan asked, giving her his most charming smile.  
  
"I.. umm.." she stuttered.  
  
"Lane, pick your mouth up from the floor and let's go," Rory said.  
  
Lane looked at Tristan helplessly, "She's mean."  
  
"Yes she is," he answered, which got them both a smack from Rory.  
  
"I'm not mean! It was Paris' idea to go!"  
  
"Which we still haven't done," Paris said impatiently, "Now, let's move it!"  
  
"Bye!" Lane chirped.  
  
"Bye, Tristan. Good job tonight!" Rory called.  
  
"Thanks, Mary. I'll call you later."  
  
He wasn't sure if she heard him; she was already half way across the club, with Paris pulling her farther and farther away from him.  
  
A/N: Well, there ya go!! Please make me happy by dropping a review!! .


	6. Dilemma Solved

Chapter 6  
  
  
A/N: Hello again! Thank you all for you're wonderful reviews!! And Chad fans, show your love by emailing fanfiction.net and requesting a One Tree Hill section!!  
  
  
  
Rory dragged her backpack into her dorm room and lethargically plopped down on the couch. After a tough day of Yale, she was exhausted. All she wanted to do now was to snuggle into her warm bed, read a book, and drink insane amounts of coffee. She walked over to the mini kitchen and started to make coffee.  
  
"Hello, Rory," Paris greeted, walking in the door.  
  
"Hi, Paris," Rory mumbled.  
  
Paris walked over to the blinking answering machine.  
  
"How long have you been home?" she asked.  
  
""Why?" Rory questioned.  
  
"We have messages, you should have checked them."  
  
"Sorry," Rory said.  
  
Paris shuck it off and listened to the machine.  
  
One call was from Lane, saying she got home alright; she had left the day before. There were 3 calls from Lorelai saying how much she missed Rory, and how difficult Luke was being on the home front, and the last message was from… Tristan.  
  
"Hey Rory," his husky voice said, "Oh, and Paris," he added hastily, "How are you girls? Anyway, I just called to check in. Rory, call me back when you get this. Bye."  
  
Paris frowned. Not one of the messages were for her. Sure, she was acknowledged in Tristan's, but she wasn't the point of his call.  
  
"So now he's calling you? What are you two, a couple now?" she accosted Rory.  
  
"He called you, too," Rory quipped.  
  
"But he called for you," Paris reasoned.  
  
Rory was silent.  
  
"And Rory," Paris went on, "Why are you being so buddy-buddy with him in the first place?"  
  
"Oh," Rory grimaced, "I just got a horrible flashback to sophomore year at Chilton.".   
  
Paris huffed, "I'm just curious, you went from loathing him to… however you feel about him now, based on only a few recent meetings."  
  
"Paris, I can't believe you're still jealous when it comes to Tristan. We're friends, if that even," Rory explained.  
  
"I'm not jealous."  
  
"Whatever," Rory said, "Call me when the coffee's done."  
  
  
  
Rory shut the door to her room a bit more forcefully than intended. Where did Paris get off calling Tristan and her a couple? The most they could ever be was friends, and that was a long shot.  
  
Rory smiled to herself remembering Tristan's words on the answering machine: "I just called to check in…" She had never had a guy check in on for no reason before, and she thought it was a sweet thing to do.  
  
She sighed and picked up the phone, her mind in an inner turmoil deciding whether or not to call back Tristan. Was he really worth jeopardizing her friendship with Paris? Sure, Paris was one of her best friends, but she was acting very immature. And plus, it wasn't fair to Tristan if she just ignored him on account of Paris' juvenile jealousy.  
  
With a new determination, Rory picked up the phone. After all, she had been in college for two years, and still hadn't made many new friends, so what was the harm in this? She dug in her purse for Tristan's number, and finally, found the crumbled, beige paper.  
  
One ring… two rings… three rings. Rory was about to hang up the phone, when a voice clicked on.  
  
"Tristan's house of fun, how may I help you?"  
  
Rory snickered, "I'm sorry; I thought this was the house of freight…"  
  
"No, that's after dark," Tristan said simply.  
  
"Thanks for clarifying," Rory said dryly.  
  
"Anything for my Mary," he cooed.  
  
"Your Mary?" Rory questioned.  
  
"Who else calls you that?"  
  
Rory thought for a moment. "Oh shut up."  
  
"That's the best you can do?" Tristan asked incredulously, "No wise crack?"   
  
"That would require coffee in my system, and I have none."  
  
"Well that's just unacceptable," Tristan said condescendingly, "I have an idea, though; I'll take you out for coffee."  
  
"I already have a pot going," Rory answered.  
  
"Save it for later," Tristan suggested.  
  
"I hate cold coffee."  
  
"Mary, is there anyway I can win with you?" Tristan asked comically.  
  
"Hmm…" Rory pondered, "Slim to none."  
  
"I should just crawl into my hole."  
  
Rory laughed, "Have fun."  
  
"Maybe you could join me. We could be alone in the dark…" Tristan said coyly.  
  
"Hanging up now," Rory warned.  
  
"Wait," Tristan said, "What are you doing tomorrow?"  
  
"A little thing called class."  
  
"Okay, see you then!" Tristan said quickly and hanging up.  
  
The dial tone rang in Rory's ear. What did he mean by that?  
  
A/N: Kinda short, I know, but that's all I could squeeze out. Also, it kind of seems like a lot of the Trory interaction is by phone, sorry about that, but that's how it's worked out so far. Please review and let me know how you like!


	7. Overdue Confessions

Chapter 7  
  
  
  
"So," Rory's professor said, "We have concluded…"  
  
Rory sluggishly dropped her pencil over her pages of notes. Following along caused her to take seven pages of notes in a 50 minute period.  
  
Finally, the bell rang. Rory grabbed her books and started walking out. With the big room of students, that was a tedious task. She was either pushed aside, or cut off trying to get out.   
  
Rory pulled out her notes for her next class, which she had a quiz on, and began silently studying them and walking down the corridor.  
  
"You take long," a voice whispered lightly into her ear, "I thought the room swallowed you up."  
  
What the…? Rory spun around, bewildered. It was only Tristan, but what we he doing here?  
  
"What are you doing here?"   
  
"Why Mary," Tristan started, "I thought you would know by now. I stalk you," he finished simply.  
  
Rory raised her eyebrow, "I'm starting to believe so."  
  
Tristan grabbed her books and examined the titles. "Fun schedule," he remarked.  
  
"Are you actually going to give me my books back this time?" Rory asked exasperated. Tristan was fun to be around, sure, but not when she wanted to use the few precious minutes she had before her next class to study.  
  
"Only if you don't say you hate me," Tristan asked, his tone faltering.   
  
Rory totally forgot about that part. She felt déj 


End file.
